Insights into key equality outcomes across Scotland

Figures of unprecedented detail for local areas and equality groups were released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician.

The Scottish Surveys Core Questions draw data from the three major Scottish surveys (Health, Household and Crime & Justice) into one output. This free by-product of existing work provides a rich source of outcomes data for over 21,000 people – which is large enough to give meaningful analysis by ethnic group, country of birth, sexual orientation, disability, education, employment, local authority and aspects of deprivation.

The figures released today were produced by independent statistical staff in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The following findings illustrate the breadth of insights now available:

SSCQ data shows strong associations between deprivation and a range of outcomes: adults in less deprived areas reported better health, higher police confidence and higher educational levels than those in areas of greater deprivation.

In the most deprived fifth of areas in Scotland, 64% of adults reported being in good health, compared to 84% of adults in the least deprived fifth of areas.

Smokers were twice as likely to report 'bad' or 'very bad' health (12%) than non-smokers (6.2%). There was a strong association between smoking and area deprivation, with 10% of adults in the least deprived areas and 38% of adults in the most deprived areas reporting being a current smoker.

Nearly one third (31%) of adults in the most deprived fifth of areas reported a limiting long-term physical or mental health condition. This was around double the proportion in the least deprived areas (15%). Unemployed people were around twice as likely to report a limiting long-term condition (19%) compared to people in employment (9%).

95% of people who were born in Scotland identified as 'White: Scottish', as did 18% of those born in the rest of the UK, 6.9% born in the rest of the EU and 11% born in the rest of the world. A higher proportion of people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or other (LGB) were born outside of Scotland. Just 69% of LGB people were born in Scotland, compared with 81% of the heterosexual population. The majority (53%) of LGB people identified as having no religion, compared with 43% of heterosexuals. Just over half of people identifying as LGB were under 35 years old.

More than four in five adults (81%) in the least deprived areas reported crime was lower or about the same in their local area in 2013, compared to just under three in four adults (73%) in the most deprived areas. When considering confidence in the ability of the police to do specific elements of their job in local areas, the majority of adults stated they were 'very' or 'fairly' confident in the police in each of the six aspects of policing examined; these results also varied across local authorities, however no differences were found by other characteristics such as sexual orientation or religion.

People born outside Scotland were also more likely to hold higher qualifications: more than half of adults born outside the EU held degrees of professional qualifications (53%) compared to less than a quarter of those born in Scotland (23%). The Scottish-born group contained larger numbers of older people, who are less likely to hold qualifications.

Around one in ten people (11%) in the most deprived areas held a degree or professional qualification compared with nearly half of people (48%) in the least deprived areas.

Young people aged 16 to 24 were around four times more likely to be unemployed (female: 8.0%, male: 13%) than 55 to 64 year olds (female: 1.5%, male: 2.7%). People in the most deprived fifth of neighbourhoods were four times more likely to be unemployed (9.0%) than those in the least deprived fifth of households (2.1%).

Unemployment levels were similar across ethnic groups and countries of birth, although people born in the rest of the UK were a little less likely to be unemployed (3.0%) than those born in Scotland (4.4%).

Notes to editors

The full statistical publication Scottish Surveys Core Questions 2013 is available at

Findings are reported by disability and smoking status, household, equality and economic characteristics, and also by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintiles, urban/rural classification, Local Authority and Health Board.